Chapter 49. The people of the manor, upon seeing this order, felt as if they were seeing the person in person…
Chapter 49
The next day, Shen Suining slept until the sun was high in the sky.
Meng Chun and Huai Xia took turns asking several times, but He Hansheng was the only one who answered. Seeing that it was almost noon and they couldn't delay any longer, they finally forced Shen Suining to wake up.
She was so sleepy that even while eating lunch, her eyes were still half-closed, and even while chewing, she looked like she could fall asleep at any moment.
Meng Chun and Huai Xia exchanged a glance, looking rather worried. "Although the young master is usually fond of sleeping, he has never been this tired before. Is there something wrong with his health?"
Shen Suining immediately opened her eyes, her gaze meeting He Hansheng's directly.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, even her ears turned bright red, and she couldn't help but lift her leg from under the table and kick He Hansheng hard.
He Hansheng winced in pain, but said calmly, "I was probably tired from climbing the mountain yesterday. It's nothing serious."
Meng Chun and Huai Xia didn't think much of it.
Just as all the dishes were served, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Xing Li rushed into the house and almost bumped into Huai Xia, who was just leaving.
Shen Suining frowned, "Why didn't you wait at the foot of the mountain? What are you doing here?"
Xing Li chuckled, lightly hopping to Shen Suining's side and kneeling down, stretching out her hand, "Taking advantage of the absence of others, I've come to ask the young master for some lucky money."
“I have no money,” Shen Suining slapped her hand away, “but I can still satisfy your urge to beat me.”
“Young Master is truly as always,” Xing Li pouted, then turned to He Hansheng, smiling as she extended her hand, “Then I have no choice but to ask Young Master…”
"Don't you know the rules?" Shen Suining grabbed Xing Li by the collar and pulled her back. "It's not time to ask for the lucky money yet, what's your hurry?"
Xing Li shrugged, looking dejected, and complained, "All these years I've worked so hard to fend off so many unwanted suitors for the young master, and I can't even get a wedding gift. It's so frustrating."
"Say it again?" Shen Suining glanced at He Hansheng subconsciously, feeling somewhat guilty.
He Hansheng didn't seem to take it to heart. He chuckled softly, took out some money from his sleeve, and placed it on the table. "Take it."
"Thank you so much, Young Master!" Xing Li immediately beamed and weighed the money in her hand. "It's all thanks to your generosity, Young Master, unlike the stingy Young Master who doesn't give a penny!"
Shen Suining glared at He Hansheng, but didn't say anything more. She only asked Xing Li, "Did my elder brother send a letter?"
“Oh right, I almost forgot the important matter,” Xing Li put away the wedding money and took out a letter from her bosom to give to Shen Suining. “The eldest young master said he is still in Shu and is afraid he will not be able to come back in time. He said that if it is on his way, he will go to Huadu to find you.”
"Didn't he say he was in Lingnan last time? How come he's gone to Sichuan again?"
After handing the letter to Shen Suining, Xing Li stood up and bowed to the two of them in a pretentious manner, "Then I wish the young master and young lord a long and happy marriage! I'll go down the mountain to wait for you."
After Xing Li left, He Hansheng looked at Shen Suining, who was drinking soup, and suddenly said, "It seems that the young master has quite a few emotional debts."
"cough--"
Shen Suining choked and quickly put the soup down. "Don't listen to her nonsense. There's clearly not much soup."
Not many?
Shen Suining coughed lightly and explained, "It's like this. I often go down the mountain on missions, right? To avoid conflict, I disguise myself and blend into the crowd. Sometimes, when I'm just playing along, I inevitably have to say a few nice things to people. Who knew they would take it seriously and come knocking on my door, threatening to kill themselves. They haven't even seen what I look like yet, but they want to make vows of eternal love and pledge their lives to me, acting like a fickle and unreliable playboy. Of course, I have to find a way to get rid of them."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Shen Suining suddenly realized that He Hansheng was also one of the many romantic entanglements that Xing Li had driven away back then.
Shen Suining felt a little embarrassed and realized that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make, so she simply lowered her head and silently ate her food and drank her soup.
He Hansheng didn't ask any more questions, but stood up and said, "I'm done eating, I'm going to change my clothes now."
...
The two changed into their wedding attire.
Shen Suining has never liked overly complicated and heavy clothes since she was a child. This wedding dress was personally made by Madam Shuyu. Although it was not as luxurious as the one she wore on her wedding day, it was much lighter and more suitable for her status as the young master. It was elegant and graceful.
She no longer needed to cover her head with a bridal veil, nor did she wear a heavy phoenix crown. Instead, she wore pure gold hairpins, and a few beaded curtains hung on either side of her forehead to slightly obscure her vision, adding a touch of allure to her beauty, which concealed a domineering presence.
Holding the hairpin that hadn't yet been put on, Meng Chun couldn't help but sigh, "Seeing Madam talking about it every day, in the blink of an eye, the young master's big day has truly arrived."
She carefully inserted the hairpin into Shen Suining's hair bun, looked at herself in the bronze mirror from left to right, and kept adjusting it to achieve a more perfect effect.
Huai Xia picked some flowers from the garden, carefully placed them in vases, soaked them in water, and arranged them in various parts of the house.
Shen Suining caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and casually asked, "How are the autumn crabapple blossoms in front of the door?"
"They're in full bloom! There are red, white, and pink ones, they're all so beautiful. They probably know there's a happy occasion in the family today." Huai Xia smiled as she presented a basket of freshly picked begonias to Shen Suining.
The petals were sprayed with water and looked just as they had been picked. Shen Suining reached out and touched the stamen, then suddenly said, "This head full of gold and silver ornaments is a bit monotonous. Why don't we put some flowers in our hair too?"
Meng Chun and Huai Xia responded and immediately began picking flowers.
When He Hansheng came over after changing his clothes, Shen Suining had already basically finished her makeup, with only the flower decoration between her eyebrows still unfinished.
Upon seeing him enter, Shen Suining stopped Meng Chun, who was about to apply floral designs to her hair, picked up the remaining autumn crabapple blossom on the table, and beckoned to He Hansheng.
He Hansheng walked over cooperatively, bowed slightly, and let Shen Suining put the flower in his hair.
The two looked into each other's eyes, their eyes filled with tender and loving smiles.
Shen Suining asked him, "Do I look good today?"
He Hansheng smiled and straightened up. "Madam looks beautiful no matter what."
He took the paintbrush from Meng Chun's hand, gently turned Shen Suining's face around, and carefully completed the floral decoration on her forehead, the shape of which resembled the blooming begonias on her head.
After putting down his paintbrush, He Hansheng and Shen Suining exchanged a glance. He bent down slightly and extended his palm toward her.
Shen Suining smiled and placed her hand in his palm before standing up.
Meng Chun and Huai Xia said in unison, "Congratulations to the young master and the young lord on their marriage and may they live a long and happy life together."
“You guys have the sweetest tongues,” Shen Suining said, taking the lucky money from He Hansheng and handing it to them. “Here, give yours a little extra, but don’t let the girls from Bifengtang see it.”
Meng Chun and Huai Xia: "Thank you, young master and young lord!"
He Hansheng took Shen Suining's hand, his expression gentle. "Let's go."
The two walked side by side out of Yuquan Villa and headed towards Biyueyun Residence. Along the way, servants in the courtyards on both sides asked them for money as a wedding gift, but He Hansheng had prepared plenty and granted their requests.
Seeing how generous he was, Shen Suining couldn't help but secretly ask, "How much money did you put on Jiang Yuchu for the wedding? If you give it to everyone you meet, what if you run out of money before you even get down the mountain? They'll make a scene."
"Don't worry," He Hansheng said, glancing at Jiang Yuchu who was following behind, "Everyone gets a share."
Shen Suining opened her mouth, thinking that He Hansheng hadn't just become so wealthy overnight, and couldn't help but reach out to him: "What about me? I want some too."
"Who would accept their own lucky money?" He Han chuckled.
Shen Suining gave a soft snort.
The two arrived at Biyueyun Residence, where Madam Shuyu and Shen Yan came out to greet them from afar.
"I have met my father and mother."
"I have met my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
The two knelt before their parents. Shen Yan helped Shen Suining up, his eyes filled with tears, unable to speak. Shen Suining couldn't help but laugh, "Father, it really doesn't have to be this bad. You didn't cry this much when you sent me off to my wedding."
“That’s different.” Shen Yan patted her hand, his voice choked with emotion several times.
Madam Shuyu glanced at him with a hint of disdain. She reached out and helped He Hansheng up from the ground, a touch of warmth appearing in her usually cold eyes.
She placed a jade token in He Hansheng's hand, saying, "This token is a pair with Ningning's Young Master token. Everyone in the manor who sees this token will see Ningning. In the future, whether here or anywhere else, if you need anything, Shuyu Manor will definitely help you in any way it can."
He Hansheng immediately accepted it with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Mother-in-law."
Hearing this, Shen Suining, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but turn her head and ask, "Mother, isn't this token only given to those who marry into the family? He's not marrying into the family, so you just gave it away so generously?"
"As long as the two of you are doing well, what does it matter whether you marry into the family or not?" Madam Shuyu glared at her. "Your mother is not old yet, don't always think of me as stubborn and ignorant."
Shen Suining scoffed.
The four of them went inside, had a cup of tea, sat for a while, and then went down the mountain together to the Hall of Rites and Music. On the way, Madam Shuyu and He Hansheng walked ahead. She brought up the matter of He Hansheng's parents, saying, "Yanzhi has already told me about your father's matter. Although Shuyu Manor has a clear rule not to interfere in court affairs, the relationship between your parents and my husband and me is different. We cannot stand idly by, both morally and logically. I will also tell Ningning about this matter and have her bring people to assist you. I cannot go to the capital, so please convey my thanks to your mother for me."
"My mother-in-law and father-in-law are eager to live a secluded life and shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess, but..."
“You don’t need to say anything more. Even for Ningning’s sake, I can’t ignore this matter,” Madam Shuyu interrupted him. “Yanzhi always praises you in front of me, and I can see how well you treat Ningning. I only want to mention one thing to you: when you are with Ningning in the future, don’t spoil her too much. She has been pampered and spoiled by those around her since she was little. She has a rash temper and only knows how to act recklessly because she has someone backing her up. As her husband, you should also discipline her properly and not spoil Ningning into a weak and incompetent parasitic vine that only knows how to depend on others.”
Before He Hansheng could respond, Shen Suining, who was following behind with Shen Yan, protested, "I was listening to everything!"
“These words were meant for you, so remember them well,” Madam Shuyu turned around and gently scolded, “Yunchu is good-natured and willing to indulge you, but you must be more mindful. Don’t forget everything your mother taught you after you get married! No matter how good your husband is, a woman must have her own foundation to live a better life in this world!”
Shen Suining had a headache. "You've been saying these things over and over again for so many years, how could I forget them?"
Before Madam Shuyu could say anything more, fearing another argument between mother and daughter, Shen Yan quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Ningning, your mother is right. Your father and I are very happy for you because Hansheng and the Princess treat you well, but you can't take advantage of that to bully them. You act like you have no backbone all the time; even your father feels ashamed when he sees you like that!"
"..." Shen Suining was too lazy to make a fool of herself, so she shut up.
The four of them descended the mountain, encountering many people offering congratulations along the way. Jiang Yuchu and Xun Zong, the two generous spenders, followed behind, tirelessly handing out lucky money until they reached the bottom of the mountain.
Shen Fengyu and the ladies of Bifeng Hall had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Shen Suining come down, they all bowed and knelt on one knee: "Congratulations on your marriage, Young Master and Young Lord!"
“Young Master,” Shen Fengyu looked up at her with a smile, “Today is your big day, even a miser like me should at least show some appreciation, right?”
"..." Shen Suining looked at the expectant expressions of the girls and was somewhat speechless. "Besides asking me for money, can't you do anything else? People who don't know better might think you're asking me for a debt."
Shen Yan laughed heartily and pulled He Hansheng aside, saying, "Ningning is good in every way, except she doesn't know how to manage money. Your mother-in-law is afraid that she will squander any money she has. In the entire Shuyu Manor, Bifeng Hall receives the least amount of money and lives the most frugally. Fengyu is scared of Ningning."
As he spoke, Shen Yan gestured to Xun Zong to give Bifengtang a celebratory gift. He Hansheng glanced at Jiang Yuchu and then gave the gift again.
Shen Suining straightened up and stepped forward, lowering her voice to say, "You've already received double pay, so you'd better give me some face in front of the other sect leaders today."
"Don't worry, young master. The master has already given instructions. The girls won't make things difficult for you and the young master," Shen Fengyu said, suppressing a laugh.
According to past practice, when a son-in-law is to be chosen, the strongest fighting force of Shuyu Manor, Bifeng Hall, should send someone to test his martial arts skills. However, Shen Yan had already personally tested him and had a general idea of his abilities, so he instructed Shen Fengyu to skip this procedure.
Not only Bifeng Hall, but the heads of the other branches also seemed to have agreed beforehand. Apart from asking for lucky money, they didn't make things too difficult for Shen Suining. This made Shen Suining both happy and afraid, fearing that they were planning something big.
After all, for some unknown reason, Shen Heyang, that drunken madman with the most tricks up his sleeve, was late for such an important occasion.
However, the banquet was not affected by this. Madam Shuyu and Shen Yan, along with Shen Suining, He Hansheng and everyone else, worshipped heaven and earth in front of the Hall of Rites and Music. After kneeling and paying respects to the spirit tablet of Shen Suining's maternal grandmother, Madam Zhuangqing, the banquet officially began.
After they sat down, Shen Suining tugged at He Hansheng's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Don't stray too far from me later. If someone comes to toast you, I can help you fend them off."
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